Toxic Tuesdays

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals used in many consumer products and industrial processes since the 1950s. Because there isn’t federal regulation of their use or disposal, PFAS are commonly released into the environment. When PFAS are released, people can be exposed to them through air, dust, food, and water, so PFAS exposure is common in the United States. Biomonitoring studies have found that certain species of PFAS are present in the blood of almost all US residents.

Many species of PFAS are known to have adverse health effects on humans including increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, decreased vaccine response in children, increased risk of high blood pressure in pregnant women, and decreased birth weight. Epidemiologic studies also show a link between exposure to certain species of PFAS and increased rates of kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer.

While there many ways to be exposed to PFAS, one of the most common is through contaminated drinking water. It is estimated that 200 million people in the US receive PFAS-contaminated drinking water. In 2018 New Jersey became the first state to adopt enforceable standards for PFAS in drinking water. It established maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) – which are the highest amount of a contaminant allowed in drinking water – for three of the most common species of PFAS: perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). In April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first federal drinking water standards for six PFAS including PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA.

In establishing MCLs for PFAS, New Jersey mandated statewide testing of all Community Water Systems (CWSs, the government-regulated water utilities) in the state. These CWSs tested by New Jersey serve 77% of the statewide population. A recent study used 2019-2021 CWS testing data along with Census data to evaluate if there are demographic differences in PFAS contamination of New Jersey residents’ drinking water. The study calculated quarterly averages for 491 CWs over this time period. It found that PFAS were detected above New Jersey’s MCL in 14% of CWSs, which serve 23% of the population. 

The study also mapped demographic information from census block groups – which are portions of census tracts and generally contain 600-3,000 people – onto the boundaries of each CWS. This created a map where the demographic makeup and quarterly average PFAS concentrations for each CWS were known. 27% of the non-Hispanic white population were served by CWSs with PFAS above New Jersey’s MCL. In contrast, 52% of the Asian population, 38% of the Hispanic population, and 34% of the Black population were served by CWSs with PFAS above New Jersey’s MCL.

These results demonstrate that not only is PFAS contamination prevalent in drinking water in New Jersey, but that there are racial disparities in PFAS contamination by CWS service area. Compared to white populations, Hispanic, Asian, and Black populations are more likely to receive drinking water that has PFAS contamination above the state’s safe threshold. These racial disparities in drinking water quality mirror racial disparities in the US more generally. Historical and ongoing housing discrimination leads to communities of color being excluded from living in certain areas. Throughout the country, pollution-emitting facilities are disproportionately located in nonwhite neighborhoods, driving health and environmental problems that disproportionately affect people of color. Industrial and military facilities that use PFAS and are located in nonwhite neighborhoods may contaminate the water supplying nearby CWSs, which could explain the racial disparities in drinking water discovered in this study.

It is important to note that EPA’s new MCLs for PFAS species are below New Jersey’s MCLs. Complying with these federal standards could reduce racial disparities in PFAS water contamination in New Jersey, but only with robust federal enforcement. People in New Jersey and across the US – especially people of color who have been disproportionately harmed – need enforceable standards and effective enforcement of those standards in order to be safe from PFAS in their drinking water.